Remembering The 'Watership Down' Movie, Which Was Scarier Than Anyone Expected It To Be
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A Final Tussle Between General Woundwort And Bigwig Is Graphic And Leaves Nothing To The Imagination
Bigwig is a heroic and mighty fighter, serving in the army-like Owsla of their previous burrow. After settling down into their new home, Bigwig rescues the captives of another neighboring burrow and leads them on an escape to their hills. Woundwort is relentless, though, and brings his troops straight to Bigwig for a final, bloody showdown.
They rip, gnash, and gnaw at each other until the two end up in a fleshy, mangled, bloody mass.
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Other Animals Slain By 'The Man Thing’ Are Frequently Seen Lying In Pools Of Blood
Humans, also known as "the man thing" to the rabbits, are notorious exterminators. Throughout the film, humans periodically wipe out masses of animals in horrific ways.
They trap, gas, and blast the animals out of their homes and never cease to threaten their wellbeing.
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The Film Vividly Shows Dripping Blood, Scratch Marks, And Bullets
Watership Down doesn't hold back on the gore. While traveling to the hills, the fleeing rabbits often find themselves threatened by dangers including other rabbits, snares, predatory animals, and bullets.
Whenever something harms them, be it another rabbit or a "man thing," the harm done is shown in great detail. Blood bubbles and spews from the rabbits' mouths and open lesions, creating a vivid display of body horror.
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The Rabbits Are Constantly In Fear Of Enemies, Whether Animals Or Humans
As the rabbits aim for their destination of a new home on faraway hilltops, they pass through forests and farmlands in hopes of finally reaching a safe haven.
Their journey, however, is filled with extreme peril. They are confronted with endless dangers, including cars, dogs, birds, other rabbits, and traps set by humans.
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Fiver, A Rabbit Who Has Visions, Frequently Shakes In Fear And Sees Bloodied Landscapes
Fiver is a rabbit with a sixth sense who sees and feels ominous visions and presences. He frequently sees a particularly disturbing vision of the rabbits' home fields pouring blood from their hills. When these visions occur, he becomes frozen in terror, shaking in fear of approaching danger.
Although often discredited by the other rabbits, he still attempts to warn them of the approaching peril. They would be wise to listen to him, because the bloodied landscapes and thunderous sounds Fiver sees and hears quickly become a reality.
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The Movie Poster Shows A Rabbit In A Snare And In Pain
The movie's promotional poster did not hide what Watership Down was about: It featured a rabbit in black shadow (the character Bigwig), ensnared in a trap and screaming in agony. The ominous words "All the world will be your enemy" and "when they catch you, they will [slay] you" are printed at the top.
Martin Rosen, the film's director, told The Independent in 2018:
That’s part of nature - nature is very tough. Richard [Adams] was very strong on that element. I felt it was absolutely critical. I did not make this picture for kids at all. I insisted that the one-sheet [the film poster] indicate how strong a picture it was by having Bigwig the rabbit in a snare. I reckoned a mother with a sensitive child would see that - a rabbit in a snare with blood coming out its mouth - and reckon, "Well, maybe this isn’t for Charlie - it’s a little too tough."
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A Dog And Cat That Stalk The Rabbits Look And Sound Super Scary And Evil
Wherever a human is, a dog or cat seems to linger, and these pets pose a serious problem for the wild rabbits. On a local farm, Hazel discovers some captive does and attempts to jailbreak them to join their new settlement.
These rabbits are guarded by both a cat and a dog. The guard animals discover them, and then relentlessly sniff them out on a stalking frenzy every time they venture to the farm. Appearing as toothy, malicious monsters that only want to rip rabbits to shreds, they visually show their true cruelty.
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In The First Two And A Half Minutes, A Mythological Creator Gives Other Animals ‘A Fierce Desire To Hunt And Slay’ Rabbits
According to the rabbit folklore of Watership Down, El-ahrairah, the Prince of Rabbits, loses control of population growth and his subjects eat too much grass, which leads to a food shortage. The stubborn prince refuses to control their breeding, so to keep the species from consuming everything in sight, a mythological entity in the shape of the sun steps in to keep them in line. It grants the other animals new forms, giving them powerful claws, jaws, and an insatiable lust to hunt and slay rabbits.
This is all shown in animated form in the first two and a half minutes of the movie.
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A Hawk Slays A Doe Named Violet, And A Human Fires At Hazel
The first rabbit casualty in the film happens in an instant. While venturing out into a seemingly harmless open field, Violet is swooped up by a hawk in front of Fiver. Violet goes from being a charming doe to only a pile of fur on the ground.
When Hazel, the hero of the tale, attempts to rescue a batch of does from captivity, he confronts a human face to face. As expected, the encounter is far from friendly, and Hazel ends up being fired at.
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The Animated Scenic Countrysides And Rolling Hills Of Green Become Rabbit Graveyards
Opening up the movie, the animation shows lush English landscapes where the rabbits frolic. Surely nothing could go awry in such a lovely, serene place.
But even though the backgrounds remain beautifully painted pieces of art, appearing frequently throughout the film, they become synonymous with perishing. The sprawling green hills, flowing rivers, and scenic landscapes threaten the rabbits' survival, and many times become a graveyard for animals who are slain.
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The Black Rabbit Appears Often
The Black Rabbit is a Grim Reaper of sorts for the rabbits. The mythological creature first appears when the Prince of Rabbits encounters other animals that were created to control the rabbit population. It appears again whenever a rabbit's certain demise is near.
But the Black Rabbit can sometimes be helpful, leading the rabbits to hurt or perishing friends and family.
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In Surreal Scenes, Trees And Other Flora Turn Black And Come Alive In A Twisted Way
The visions and hypervigilant minds of the rabbits twist their surroundings into darkly trippy landscapes and demonic caricatures. New settings that spark fear in the rabbits are transformed into cascades of teeth and eyes, presenting danger at every corner.
When the rabbits are on the run, their active visions warp the curly trees and dangling branches of the forest into a black, mangled mess.
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The Film’s Song ‘Bright Eyes’ (Which Became A Hit), Is Basically About Someone Who Has Perished
The original score for Watership Down includes a song, "Bright Eyes," that features soaring violins and vocals from Art Garfunkel. It plays during the search for the rabbit Hazel after he is hurt, and might seem like a dreamy tune one could fall asleep to. The song, however, is about falling asleep eternally.
The dreary theme didn't seem to matter when "Bright Eyes" was released in 1979 in conjunction with the film: The track was a chart-topping hit and best-selling single in the UK. The film was later adapted into an animated television series, and the show picked up "Bright Eyes" as its theme song, covered by another artist.
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The Film Ends With Hazel - A Hero Rabbit - Old, Shabby, And Meeting His Demise
To close the curtains on the gnarly tale, the movie ends with Hazel living in a cozy burrow he helped build. As he decrepitly walks his fields, the Black Rabbit comes to request that he join his Owsla.
Seemingly without a choice in the matter, Hazel stretches out atop his green meadow and his breathing slows to a stop.
